Thread guide



Dec. 9,1941. I VIV.'QB.ROE' 2,265,818

THREAD GUIDE ori inal Filed Seiat. 16, 1937- Patented De; 9, 1941 THREAD GUIDE Wiley B. Roe, Elizabethton, Tenn., assignor to North American Rayon Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Refiled for abandoned application Serial No.

164,172, September 16, 1937. This February 20, 1940, Serial No. 319,883

. 3 Claims. The present invention relates to an apparatus application for collecting thread or yarn and more particularly to a thread guide and device for collecting thread or yarn drawn vertically from the supply spool or bobbin.

One object of the-present invention is to provide an improved thread guide that is simple, economical to construct and which will properly uide the thread from the thread supply spool to the winding device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel thread guide which when positioned in proper relation to the thread supply and collectingdevice will automatically receive the thread whereby it will pass to the point of collection and there be readily drawn onto the collecting device without snarling, knotting or breaking.

Still another object of the present invention is to construct a novel thread guide in the form of a helical convolution having its terminus lying in the same radius as the major portion of the helix.

These and'other objects of the present invention will in part become obvious and in part be pointed out in the following specification and appended claims when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic showing of the relative position of the parts of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a side elevation of one form of collecting apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of another form of collecting apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the thread guide.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the thread guide.

In the drawing, in which like numerals of reference indicatelike parts I refersto a thread or yarn supply means, which generally consists of a spool of thread or yarn 2, which has been wound thereon .during a prior operation. The supply spool l is usually placed on its vertical axis for the unwinding of the yarn 2 therefrom.

A collecting device 3 is usually positioned above the supply spool. For purposes of illustration the collection device is shown as a horizontally supported reel on which the thread or yarn from the spool I is collected at 4 in skein form. The thread or yarn may b arranged on the reel 3 in diamond formation by guiding it over a stationary bar H to a reciprocating trav-- erse bar 5 (Fig. 3) and from there to a reel 3 or by imparting a reciprocating movement to the ventional and forms no part of the novelty of. the present invention.

In either event the thread or yarn drawn oi! the spool I is passed through a thread guide 6, which is screw threaded or otherwise supported in any suitable manner or; the apparatus as shown at l. The thread guide 6 is usualy formed of an attenuated wire or strip with an attaching screw thread 8 at one end and a helical loop 9 at the opposite end. The extreme end I of the guide is curved in applicants guide on the same radius as the major portion of the helix and terminated within this radius. The position of the thread guide is of prime importance if the thread guide is to automatically pick up the thread; The helix of the thread guide is positioned so that the axis of the helix coincide's with the axis of the supply spool from which the thread is generally drawn as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing. The drawing ofi point above the thread guide is also in line with the axis of the helix of the guide and the axis oithe vertical spool so that a center line drawn through the supply spool, the helix of the thread guide and the drawin off point above the guide all coincide.

In Figure 2 the point of collection is the outer periphery of the reel itself with the axis of the thread guide and supply spool tangential to the said periphery.

In Figure 3, in which form a traverse guide is used'in order to impart the desired cross wind on the collecting reel, a guide rod for changing the direction of travel of the thread has its periphery positioned in such a way that the. axis of the supply spool and helix of the thread guide is tangential thereto.

With the thread guide in proper relative position to the take-off point above the supply spool below, as just described in the foregoing paragraph, it is also essential to have the thread unwindfrom the supply spool in the direction of rotation which coincides with the direction of twist of the helix. By so doing it is obvious that the thread will be drawn into the guide. without further assistance from the operator of the machine provided the extreme end if? of the guide is curved on the same radius as the major portion of the helix and terminated within this ra dius. If, as is usual in guides of this kind, the

end of the guide extends beyond the radius orrest of the helical portion of the guide it is im possible that the thread feed automatically without aid within the guide.

reel itself. However the collecting means is con- It has been found unexpectedly that a thread .guide whose helical portion consists of one and one quarter turns, as shown at 9 in the accompanying drawing, yields more satisfactory results than can be obtained with the conventional type of thread guide. Experiments have shown that the thread guide disclosed in the present invention is most suitable for automatically receiving the thread and for retaining it well within its confines during the ballooning action of the I x thread.

Further it is obvious that it is impossible with 8.

guide which automatically picks up the thread at the start 'of the operation to'lose the thread during the whole win ding operation.

When the supply spools I are positioned on a twisting machine and revolved at avery high rate of speed the thread balloons away from the spool even mor so than in the ordinary winding for Thread guide filed Sepsaid storage device, and means for bringing said thread drawing-off point into axial alignment machine but it will, be found that applicant's novel guide will still pick up the thread automatically and hold it securely within the confines of the helix throughout the entire twisting operation.

Whether the thread is unwound from a stationary supply spool or whether it is unwound from a'rotating spool there is still the resulting balloon 11 e effect as the thread unwinds and it is theref re essential that a guide be placedabove the supply spool in order that the thread can be constantly drawn from a single point and will not slip on the guide rod or on the traverse bar.

The foregoing apparatus therefore, not onlyprevents snarls, thread breakage and the like, but because the thread is unable to slip out of the thread guide a mor perfect guiding operation is achieved as well as less attention required by the operator.

' This application is a substitute for application with said thread storage device and said thread guide, said thread guide comprising an attenuated member having one terminal end thereof fixed to supporting means with the opposite terminal end thereof extending into the path of travel of the thread drawn between said thread storage device and.said thread drawing-off point, said opposite terminal end being coiled in the form of a helix having a twist coinciding with the direction of rotation imparted to said thread during the drawing thereof and convolutions spaced sufflciently apart from said attenuated member and pointingtowards said drawing-oil point to automatically draw and retain said thread therein when said thread storage device, said drawing-oil point and the helix of said thread guide are brought into axial alignment upon drawing said thread from said thread, storage device to said drawing-oil. point, said helix being coiled about one and one quarter turns and the terminus thereof being curved in the same radius as said thread storage device and said thread guide the major portion of the helix and terminated within said radius.

2. A thread winding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for bringing said thread drawing-oil point in axial alignment with include. a horizontally supported, reciprocating reel.

3. A thread winding apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which the means for bringing said thread drawing-oil point in axial alignment with said thread storage, device and said thread guide include a reciprocating traverse bar.

3 Y wnmrn. ROE. 

